Jennifer Sturman Q&A

Jennifer Sturman author of And Then Everything Unraveled took the time out of her day to answer some questions. Here they are:

T.K., Delia's mother is a cause activist. Does that reflect you at all?
Mostly it reflects the sort of person T.K. is – she’s all about identifying a problem and solving it, in a very committed, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer way. I could learn a lot from her – I care about a number of issues, but I tend to take less of a hands-on approach, instead donating to related organizations or volunteering when I can.

What is something that you like to read in a book review other than your book being great that is?
I try to avoid reading reviews altogether. Even if it’s 99% positive, I focus on the 1% negative and obsess!

Delia's first kiss is mentioned in the book. Do you remember your first kiss?
Answering this question online might come back to haunt me, so I’m going to plead the fifth…

What is a book that you are looking forward to reading right now?
This is going to sound crazy, but I’ve been saving the last Harry Potter for two years! Part of me just didn’t want the series to end, and part of me wanted to wait until I was in the right frame of mind. But I’m taking a long trip in September, and I think the time has finally arrived.

I very much love to hear author's play lists for their books. Was their anything that you listened to while you wrote?
Delia’s aunt Charley is a huge fan of teen movies from the 80s, and I found myself listening to a lot of 80s music while I wrote. I even created a radio station on Pandora with artists like Flock of Seagulls, Modern English, New Order, OMD, the Plimsouls, Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds, the Smiths, and a bunch of other bands. Some of my friends would mock me if they knew, but I see no reason to tell them.

There were a few things in the book that involved the economy, oil, and gas prices. Did you have to conduct any research during the writing of your book?
I probably should have dedicated this book to Wikipedia! I have a business background, and I’m a bit of a news junkie, so I could draw somewhat on my knowledge of current events, but I did a lot of research online to fill in the holes.

I hope I don't sound like a broken record and I'm sure many people have asked you this dreaded question that seems to always be asked. Is there any advice you would give your teenage self that you know now?
This is a tough one, because though it sounds soppy, there’s something to how all of your experiences, both the good and the bad, make you what you eventually become, and if you go back and change something who knows how things might have turned out instead? I will say this, however: I sort of regret getting my ears pierced.

What was your favorite quote out of the book?
I’ve been taught to get rid of my favorite parts, as they tend to be the ones that are forced or overwritten. That said, I do think Charley gets a lot of the best lines, like in Chapter 4 when she’s talking about studying zoology and says: “Giraffes and elephants are one thing, but who can get excited about mollusks, except maybe the French. And they’ll eat anything.”

Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?
Apparently there’s been some confusion about whether UNRAVELED has a sequel, but it does! AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE TRUTH will be published in 2010 – I hope you and your readers will check it out!

Thanks so much Jennifer for taking the time to do this and I can't wait till And Then I Found Out The Truth comes out next year.